In Scotland, Gaelic has traditionally been associated with social and economic inferiority. When the State school was introduced in the 1800's, school use of Gaelic was prohibited, even though it was widely used in the Western Islands Area. There are now 60 primary schools in this area (4,000 students), 56 schools are located in a rural Gaelic area and 88 percent of these students have some knowledge of Gaelic, while 68 percent are fluent speakers; the remaining four schools (1,177 students) are in anglicized areas where 68 percent have no knowledge of Gaelic and 7 percent are fluent, even though 62 percent of the teachers are fluent Gaelic speakers. While for a number of years now Gaelic has been taught as a subject, it has not been used in terms of bilingual schooling--bilingual education being defined as equal use of the two languages and cultural backgrounds of a given community. Increasingly teachers are extending the use of Gaelic, but teachers cannot be expected to devise methods and materials which would constitute the basis for a continuous program. Help is required in the form of national financial support wherein curriculum development, teacher training, inservice programs, and attitudinal changes may be effected. Bilingual precedent is well established in Wales where extensive sums and programs are currently being devoted to bilingual education, and in Ireland where since its independence in 1921, the State has labored to revive the language. (JC)